BREVIARY (from the Latin breviarium), a summary or abridgment of prayers. The breviary is the book containing the daily offices which all who are in orders, or enjoy any Catholic benefice, are obliged to read. It is an abridgment of similar offices previously in use. The breviary contains prayers or offices to be used at the seven canonical hours of matins and lauds prime, tierce, sext, none, vespers and compline. It is not known at what time the use of the breviary was first enjoined. In the Acts of the Apostles we find the third, sixth and ninth hours especially mentioned. From Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Cyprian and others, we learn that the observance of these hours was general among Christians. Saint Basil, Saint Jerome and Saint Ambrose speak of the seven hours called canonical. The serv ices in use in the convents and monasteries in the early ages were very exhausting from their great length. A council held at Tours in 567 enjoined that matins and vespers should never have less than 12 psalms each and that the former should have 30 in Lent. It was under Pope Gregory VII (1073-85) that the abridgment of the offices began to be considered necessary. In 1241 a breviary revised by Haymon obtained the approbation of Gregory IX, and was in troduced in all the churches of Rome under Nicholas III. In 1568 Pius V published a breviary which has remained, with few modifi cations, to the present day. The Roman breviary, however, was never fully accepted by the Gallican Church, which persisted in main taining its own offices. The Ultramontane
party there had long struggled in vain for the introduction of the Roman breviary, but from 1840 to 1864, by a final and vigorous effort, the opposition of the Gallican party was overcome, and the uniformity of usage established, with the following exceptions: (1) Milan Breviary, originating in the time of Saint Ambrose; (2) Monastic, and in use by the Benedictines and Cistercians; and (3) the Dominican.
The Psalms occupy a large place in the brevi ary, the order of the reading being so arranged that in general 100 psalms shall be recited in a week. Passages from the Old and New Testa ment and from the fathers have the next place. All the services are in Latin, and their arrange ment, which is adapted to the various seasons and festivals of the Church, is very complex. The office for the dead is one of the most vener able parts of the breviary. The English Book of Common Prayer is based on the Roman breviary; the latter, however, excludes the Eucharistic office and services for special occa sions, such as baptisms and marriages, and contains lessons and hymns for every day of the year. The breviary must be read aloud, and this duty takes at least two hours. A move went is on foot for its condensation. There is a translation of the breviary into English by the Marquis of Bute (London 1879; new edition, New York 1910). Consult Battifol, 'History of the Roman Breviary) (London 1921).